Happy 40th Birthday, Mary J. Blige

Techno Color

Mary J. Blige, pictured here in 2000, was not afraid of colorful hairstyles or fashions. Her over-the-top outfits were balanced out by her soulful voice.

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Team Blige

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Blige and Sean “Diddy” Combs have often collaborated since her 1992 debut, “What’s the 411?” Here, the duo work together on the remix to her single, “No More Drama,” in 2001.

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Gangster Lean

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Mary J. Blige performs at the “My VH1 Music Awards 2001” at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

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The Cat's Meow

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Blige sings at the 26th Annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

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Paying Homage

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Blige with the late, great Luther Vandross on the red carpet at the First Annual BET Awards in 2001.

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Divas, Las Vegas

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Whitney Houston and Mary J. performed on the “VH1 Divas Las Vegas” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in 2002.

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Show Stopper

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Blige’s performance of her signature hit, “No More Drama,” brought the crowd to their feet at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

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Collabos

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Blige has paired with some of popular music’s finest during her nearly-twenty year career including The Notorious B.I.G., Bono, Common, Roy Ayers, Ludacris, Elton John, Jay-Z and Eve, among them. Here, she performs “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By” with Method Man.

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Award Winner

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The Yonkers, New York native received her first Grammy in 1996 for “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By,” her duet with Method Man. Today, she is the proud winner of nine Grammys.

Soul Sisters

The Queens

At VH1’s “Divas Live: The One and Only Aretha Franklin,” The Queen of Soul and The Queen of Hip- Hop Soul sang “Ain’t No Way.”

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Real Love

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Blige finally found her real love in Kendu Isaacs. The couple began their relationship in 2000 and were married three years later.

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Behind Every Great Woman...

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Simply put, Kendu is Blige’s husband, friend and manager.

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Pairing Up

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Blige collaborated with rapper, Ja Rule, on her hit, “Rainy Days.”

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Rock Meets Soul

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Bono joins Blige for a performance of “One” during the 16th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction in 2001.

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Rock Like This

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Mary J. Blige has always exuded a rock-tinged vibe, from her outfits to her music. Her collaborations with Sting, Elton John and Bono are further proof.

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Beauty Business

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Along with her accomplishments in music, Blige has expanded her brand into the beauty industry. She recently launched her own fragrance, acts as a consultant for Carol’s Daughter and has been a MAC spokesperson.

Fierce, Fly and Fashionable

Black Girls Rock

Blige was honored with the Black Girls Rock Icon Award for her success as an artist and for being a role model for young, inner city women.

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R.I.P. B.I.G

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Blige was attended the New York premiere of “Notorious” about her friend Notorious B.I.G.

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Giving Back

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Mary J. Blige opened a resource center in Yonkers, New York, which is an extension of her work with her non-profit organization, Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN).

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Sister Circle

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Serena Williams and Alicia Keys came out to support Blige at a Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN) fundraiser.

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Empowered Women

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Oprah Winfrey loves her some Mary J. Along with being a frequent guest on her daily talk show, Mary was invited to attend an event at Oprah’s Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

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Survivor

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Blige performs “I Can See in Color,” the theme song for the film, “Precious,” at the premiere party in 2009. She released the film’s soundtrack on her Matriarch Records label.

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The Soundtrack

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Mary J. Blige blessed LeBron James with a song for the soundtrack for his documentary, “More Than a Game.”

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Take Me As I Am

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Mary J. Blige warms up during rehearsals for the American Music Awards.

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Glam Slam

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Blige sports a winning, red carpet look at last year’s American Music Awards. She has won four AMA’s to date.

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Good Sport

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A proud New Yorker, Blige performed “The Star Spangled Banner” at the World Series. The Yankees won!

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Lady in Red

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Blige is a splendor, in red, as she arrives at a New Yorkers for Children benefit.

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With Feeling

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Never one to hold back, Blige delivered a powerhouse performance of her single, “I Am,” at the American Music Awards.

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On Bended Knee

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Blige gives it her all during her performance at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Party in 2010. The entire crowd in the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel was on their feet.

Pivotal Performance

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Blige sings “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with Andrea Bocelli during this year’s Grammy Awards. All proceeds from iTunes sales will be donated to the Haiti relief effort.

For Haiti

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Blige took the stage at BET’s SOS Help For Haiti benefit concert in Miami.

The Breakthrough

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Blige has become one of the greatest female recording artist of our time. Her voice, her lyrics and her renewed spirit represent the Black female identity in the most empowering way.

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The Long Haul

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Blige has transcended boundaries and genres, fortified her brand and is on her way to becoming a legend. Nice work, Mary.

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Rock the Mic

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Nobody rocks a show quite like MJB. “Onstage, you can’t have things dragging or hanging. It has to be the tailored, custom-made (version) of your comfort zone. I never want to be too pretty,” she once said.

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She's Fancy

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Always one to recognize young talent, in 2010 Blige collaborated with Drake on both “Fancy” and “The One.”

Giving Back

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In 2009, Gucci created a one-of-a-kind watch to benefit Blige’s FFAWN organization.